You’ve taken advice from all your married and unmarried friends, made a checklist of everything and followed the bridal beauty rulebook to the tee… and yet, there are a few things that you’ve completely forgotten about. Talking to brides who spoke in retrospect, here is our list of the most common mistakes most brides are guilty of…

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Matching your body to your face
So you’ve got your face makeup all done but you’ve totally missed out the rest of your body. This is one of the most common mistakes that brides make; they only realise it when they finally see the photos when their body looks a whole shade darker than the rest of their face – horrendous and absolutely absurd.

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Too much foundation or powder
Yes, you do need coverage but how much is too much? Keep a close eye on how much foundation or powder your makeup artist is layering on your face. In the bright lights, you don’t want your foundation dominating all of your face makeup. Too much powder can even sit in the creases under your eyes causing a definite bridal makeup crisis. Avert this disaster by doing a start-to-finish trial run and having someone photograph you to see how your makeup looks.

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Holding back the blush
You might have noticed that every bride you’ve met in person has cheeks that look a tad too pink. But ladies, that’s just how it’s done. Most brides complain in retrospect that they could have worn more blush or that their cheeks could have been highlighted better. So if you’re makeup artist is being generous with the rouge, don’t you dare hold him back.

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Not waterproofing your eye makeup
Aah waterproofing! We know that weddings are an emotional time, so why any bride would wear anything but waterproof makeup is anyone’s guess. Of course, some brides had to learn this the hard way so it’s best that you learn from their mistakes. In fact, we know brides who wouldn’t cry for fear of their mascara running! Plus, that way you won’t even have to hold back when your dad finally does the kanyadaan.

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Opting for “natural” lips
While we’re all for the glossy look, you might not want to go totally plain Jane at your own wedding. Be fearless, be bold and wear an eye-grabbing statement lip (if your outfit permits, that is.) Otherwise, while the rest of your face will look perfectly done up, you’ll look like your makeup artist forgot your lip colour. If you’re not big on colour, we suggest going for a lip stain instead of a lip gloss. But colour is a must.

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Waxing too close to your big day
We get that you want to be as smooth and clean as possible for your wedding but one of the most silly decisions you can make is to schedule your wax a day or two before your big ceremony. The possible result? Rashes, patches and skin that just doesn’t get the gravity of the situation! The solution? Go for a wax a week before your wedding day. That way your skin has time to recover.

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Not having a touch-up kit
After you’ve done your hair and makeup, your makeup artist (if he/she is kind enough) might offer to stay back for touch-ups later. In case they don’t, ask them to pack you a teeny-tiny touch-up kit that you can keep with your BFF or bridesmaid and make use of when your makeup begins to run.